Noun Stems ending with a vowel + u

Noun Stems ending with -uu

These nouns end in a long -uu in the singular and keep this long -uu with all the other inflectional endings. The i of the suffix is dropped.

ᐋᒨaamuu (na) bee

3

ᐋᒨ

aamuu

3p

ᐋᒨᒡ

aamuuch

3′ / 3’p

ᐋᒨᐦ

aamuuh

LOC

ᐋᒨᐦᒡ

aamuuhch

DIM

ᐋᒨᔥ

aamuush

POSS

ᓂᑖᒨᒻ

nitaamuum

Noun Stems ending with -iu

These nouns have an -i before the final -u that you cannot hear in the singular, plural or obviative but that you can hear clearly in the locative, diminutive and possessive, where the -u is dropped.

ᐱᒋᐤpichiu (na) gum

3

ᐱᒋᐤ

pichiu

3p

ᐱᒋᐅᒡ

pichiuch

3′ / 3’p

ᐱᒋᐅᐦ

pichiuh

LOC

ᐱᒌᐦᒡ

pichiihch

DIM

ᐱᒌᔥ

pichiish

POSS

ᓂᐱᒌᒻ

nipichiim

ᐱᔑᐤpishiu (na) lynx

3

ᐱᔑᐤ

pishiu

3p

ᐱᔑᐅᒡ

pishiuch

3′ / 3’p

ᐱᔓᐦ

pishiuh

LOC

ᐱᔒᐦᒡ

pishiihch

DIM

ᐱᔒᔥ

pishiish

POSS

ᓂᐱᔒᒻ

nipishiim

ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐤkaahkaachiu (na) crow

3

ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐤ

kaahkaachiu

3p

ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐅᒡ

kaahkaachiuch

3′ / 3’p

ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐅᐦ

kaahkaachiuh

LOC

ᑳᐦᑳᒌᐦᒡ

kaahkaachiihch

DIM

ᑳᐦᑳᒌᔥ

kaahkaachiish

POSS

ᓂᑳᐦᑳᒌᒻ

nikaahkaachiim

Note: These nouns have been spelled ᐱᒎpichuu, ᐱᔔpishuu and ᑳᐦᑳᒎkaahkaachuu in the past. The spelling with -iu reflects the pronunciation of elder speakers and shows the structure of the stem. It also relates a noun like ᐱᒋᐤpichiu to a verb like ᐱᒌᐧᐋᔅᑯᓐpichiiwaaskunit has gum on it.

Noun Stems ending with -aau

Nouns ending with -aau do not keep their -u in the locative, simulative and possessive. The first vowel of the suffixes (i) also disappears in all the endings. The stem and the suffix undergo a contraction.